Salt-shaker.



G. L. LOFSTROM.

31m SHAKER.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3h l9i6- I g j fil D Pmnted 511117 3 191?,

Toall 4217mm it moy 'coheem: 2B8 it known that I, Go rrrmno eorrrnannrl. Lors'rnoM, or ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

SALT-SHAKER.

STROM, a citizen of Sweden, residing at -Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Salt-Shakers,

of which the following. is a specification,

. referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings- 1 This mvention comprehendscertain new and useful improvements in kitchen. and table articles, and relates particularly to salt shakers. of the automatic anti-clogging type;

The invention hasfor its primary object a,

an improved 'device of this character which will work-.efi'ectively, byautomatic means,

' -to clear. out the orifices in the top of the de-'-:

vice when the shaker is set upright after each operation, the parts-being so constructed and arranged that they, maybe very ,4 cheaply manufactured andeasily assembled andnot liable to get out of-order.

further object of the invention is a .device of the character above specified in.

which thecounterbala'ncefor the .orifice cleaning means may swin freely around in a relatively horizontal p ane, so as "to be] thoroughly effective, no matter howthe salt shaker is tipped, thereby always insuring that the cleaningfingers or pins will be projected into and through the orifices in the top of the device when the-'shaker is restored to its normal'position. And the inventionalso aims to generally improve devices'of this class'so as to render them proceeds," the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and-wcomblnations of the parts thatI shall hereinafter- Y the casmg 7 and through a cup or circular fully describe and claim.

For afull understanding .ofthe inven tion reference is to be had 'tothe following description and WhiCh.-'-. i

Figure 1 isa vertical longitudinal sectionalview improvements of my invention,

Fig, 2 is a similar view of a the darts,

i i Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 31 916. S'erialiNo. 112,372.

desired number of orifices 4, through which. the salt is shaken, and said-orifices are dempre useful-and commercially desir v With these and other, objects in view, -asj will more fully. appeal-as the description accompanying drawing, -in

' tion' 14 or fulcrum of a lever 15. The inner {end of the lever 15 is pivotally connected, of a salt shaker embodying the "as at-16, to the stem 11, and the outer end of the lever carries a counterweight or balance Po ti 0 .the device in inverted position, i r

Fig. 3is a horizontal section on, the llne .1, looking in the direction of g Patented July 3, i917.

(B; 4 is a plan view of the top by itself, an v Fig. 5 is a plan'view of a disk hereinafter specifically referred to. y I

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the accompanying drawing and the following descriptionqby like reference I characters. v

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the body portion of a salt shaker,

said body portion being of any desired con- 'Stl'llCtlOIl,lSlZ6, shape or design, as circumstancesor judgment may dictate. 2 designates the top or lid of the device which may be detachably secured to the body portion l-in any desired way as, for example, by

the usual screw-threadconnection 3 shown.

Thetop 2 is. formed as usual with any signed to receive and accommodatepins 5,

one for each orifice. These pins or clean- A ing fingers 5 are secured to or formed integral with a disk 6 which is mounted for a limited bodily movement within a casing v7 secured-to the top 2 on the underside of the latter, and the casing is formed with any desired number of lateral recesses 8 of ,any'desired sizesoas to permit of the flow of salt therefrom, so that it can find access to the orifices 4: and pass freely through the I latter. Preferably the casing 7 is formed on its bottom with any desired number of apertures -9 of any desired size and design, and the disk6 is also formed with apertures '10 extending therethrough so'that the salt may flow directly through the bottom of the casing and through the disk to find egress through the orifices. 4. ,7

' The disk 6 is provided withastem ll'depending therefrom, and mounted for a longitudinal movement through the bottom of head 12 carried thereby, said head being "formed with an annular flange 13 which is engaged by the recessed intermediate por- 17, as shown.

From'the foregoing description, in con nection with the accompanying drawing, the 1 v operation of my improved automaticantij cloggingsalt shaker will be apparent. In

the practical use of the device it is manifest that so long as the shaker assume-s its normal upright position, the action of the weighted lever will serve'to hold the disk (3 in its uppermost position, with the pins 5 within and projecting through the orifices 4 whereby the orifices will be kept clean at all times and practically closed, so that moisture will be excluded from the interior of the shaker,

and as soon as the shaker is tilted over for the purpose of having the salt flow therefrom, the action of the lever will then be to withdraw the pins from the orifices. thereby permitting the salt to flow out through the latter, as desired. 1 I have prepared a very el'licient construction of device of this character, and that the It will thus be seen that parts thereof may be very cheaply and casil y assembled and not liable to get out of order.

. Preferably guide rods 18 extend from the casing 7 to the top and the disk (3 is formed with openings 18 through which theguide rods 18 extend. whereby the proper move.-

ments of the disk will always be insured.

Preferably also the weight 17 is substantially of crescent shape with pointed ends a plane at right angles to the plane of the section. the weight will automatically swing to the lowest point of the shaker and be in position to operate immediately that the shaker is fully tipped. much as the weight is capable of swinging around the axis formed by the stem 11, the weight acts to break up agglomerated salt and prevent packing of the salt so that the salt will pass freely through the openings in the casing and the openings in the plate (3.

\Yhile the accompanying drawing illustrates what I believe to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but that various changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangements and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed. is:

1. A salt shaker provided in its top with orifices. and with a casing below the top, a disk movable in said casing and provided with pins adapted to extend into the orifices for the purpose specified. a stem carried by said disk and movable through the casing, the casing being provided with a head depending therefrom. and a weighted lever fulcrumed on said head and pivotally conlfiurthermore, inasnected to said stem, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A salt shaker provided in its top with orifices, and with a casing below the top, a disk movable in said casing and provided with pins adapted to extend into the orifices for the purpose specified, a stem carried by said disk and movable through the casing,

the casing being provided with a head depending therefrom, the head being formed with an annular flange, and a weighted lever provided intermediate of its ends with a freely sliding connection with said flange and pivotally connected at one end to said stem. w

3. In a salt shaker, the combination of a top formed with orifices, a\ disk provided with pins and movable in a direction to project said pins into said orifices, said disk being provided with a stem, at fulcrum, and

the head being formed with an annular flange, and a weighted lever provided inter: mediate of its ends wlth a freely sliding connection with said flange, and plvotally connected at one end to said stem, the casing being formed in its sides and bottom with openings extending therethrough, and the disk being formed also with openings extending therethrough.

5. In a salt shaker, the combination of a top provided with orifices, a disk provided with pins and movable in a direction to project said pins into said orifices, and a lever operatively connected to said disk and provided with a counterbalancing weight, for the purpose specified, said lever being capable of swinging around in the shaker and formed with pointed ends. 4

t"). In a salt shaker, a perforated closure, a member disposed within the shaker and hav ing pins registering with the perforations of the closure, said member being movable in a direction to project. said pins into the perforations, and a lever disposed entirely with in the shaker having its inner end operatively engaged with the member, having its outer end weighted, and fulcrumed intermediate its ends.

7. A salt shaker having a perforated closure and cleaning means disposed within the shaker and autonuttically urged'into the perforations when the shaker is right side up but urged out of said perforations when the shaker is inverted, said cleaning means ineluding a weighted member projecting laterally from and rotatable around the longi tudinalaxis of the shaker and acting to break up agglomerated salt adjacent the mouth of the shaker.

8. A salt shaker having a perforated closure', a cleaning member having pins registermg with the perforations 1n the closure,

said cleaning member being movable toward or from the closure, and welght actuated means for urging the cleaning member toward the closure When the shaker is right side up buturging the cleaningmeansaway from the closure when the shaker is inverted,

said weight actuated means being mounted.

,spaced from the ,inside face thereof and formed with a plurality of openings to permit the passage of salt therethrough, a

cleaning disk disposed between the casing plate and the closure and having a plurality of pins registering with the perforations in the closure, said disk being movable toward the casing plate to retract the pins from the perforations, and means urging said disk toward the closure when the shaker is right side up but urging said disk toward the easing plate and retracting the pins from the perforations in the closure when the shakeris inverted.

10. A salt cellar having a perforated closure, a fixed stem projecting inward from the inner face of the closure, and means for breaking up agglomerated salt comprising 1 a radially projecting arm having a weight at its outer end, said arm being operatively mounted on the stem for movement around the axis of the stem.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my 3 signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

.IGOTTHARD L. LOFSTROM.

Witnesses:

, SWAN LINDSKOLD,

ENooH OLIN. 

